Georgia man faces murder charge in 1974 Shrewsbury slaying

Monday

May 5, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By Jeff MalachowskiDaily News Staff

SHREWSBURY – Lonzo Guthrie, the man authorities say stabbed 21-year-old Eileen Ferro to death inside her Shrewsbury home in 1974, is slated to be arraigned on a murder charge Monday in Worcester Superior Court.A former Worcester resident, Guthrie, 69, was arrested on a fugitive from justice warrant in February in his hometown of Austell, Ga., after DNA evidence linked him to Ferro’s killing.While in Georgia, Guthrie fought extradition to Massachusetts. The Worcester County District Attorney’s office recently obtained a governor’s warrant to bring Guthrie back to Massachusetts to face a murder charge in Ferro’s slaying. Guthrie was brought back to Massachusetts Thursday, said Tim Connolly, spokesman for the Worcester County District Attorney’s office.Guthrie was initially scheduled to be arraigned Friday. However, the hearing was postponed until Monday due to a superior court judges conference on Friday, said Connolly.The day before Ferro was stabbed to death inside her Ladyslipper Drive home, Guthrie delivered furniture there. The following night, he returned and killed her, authorities said.Police questioned Guthrie shortly after the murder, but had no evidence to link him to the crime. Guthrie then went to Los Angeles, where he was charged with rape shortly thereafter, authorities said.Guthrie was sentenced to between three and 30 years in prison on his rape charge, but was paroled after about 15 years and went to Georgia. A registered sex offender, Guthrie was recently arrested for driving without a license, a violation of his parole, and sent back to Los Angeles. While in custody in Los Angeles, Guthrie submitted a DNA sample into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) that matched evidence, including blood, from the 1974 murder scene, authorities said.Investigators then went to Georgia, where they arrested Guthrie.Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.